Disposable halter



y 1962 A. R. MOORE ETAL 3,046,980

DISPOSABLE HALTER Filed NOV. 6, 1961 INVENTOR! ROBERT C. BLAIR JR. ARTHUR R. MOORE ATTORNEY United rates 3,046,980 DISPOABLE HALTER Arthur R. Moore, Florida Manufacturing Corporation, and Robert C. Blair, Jr., 281 White Sh, both of Daytona Beach, Fla.

Filed Nov. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 150,506 6 Claims. (Cl. 12875) The present invention relates to orthopedic apparatus for the treatment of neck injuries and injuries of the cervical spine, using traction. It deals particularly with traction apparatus of the head halter type.

Traction head halters of various kinds are widely used by orthopedic surgeons in office practice and for home use, and are used extensively by hospitals. In general, they comprise arrangements of buckle-adjustable straps of cloth or leather for supporting engagement beneath the jaw and behind the occiput of a patient, with means for suspension from the spreader bar of a conventional weight and pulley tractor. They are cumbersome, uncomfortable in use, and costly both in manufacture and upkeep; they require frequent cleaning. Their use and maintenance entail considerable expense to hospitals and orthopedic surgeons.

An object of the present invention is to provide a disposable head halter that is highly efiicient and yet is of such simple, inexpensive construction that it can be discarded after use, at practically negligible cost.

Another object of this invention is to accommodate the various head dimensions of difierent patients with a single cervical sling.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cervical sling which is automatically adjustable to accommodate difierent patients.

These and other objects will become apparent from a consideration of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG, 1 is a view in side elevation of the halter as applied to the head of a patient.

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of the halter.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the halter taken along the lines 33 of FIG. 2.

In the embodiment of the inventions as herein disclosed, the halter indicated generally at 10, comprises a pair of suspension loop members 12 and 14, and a pair of support members 16 and 18 extending between and carried by the respective suspension members 12 and 14. Each of the support members 16 and'lS is loosely slidable on the suspension loop means and is of identical structure, comprising an elongated rectangular pad of soft cellulose material encased in a cloth cover. A cellulose material similar to that normally used for disposable diapers and the like has been found to be particularly suitable for this use. The cover material may be fabricated from cheesecloth or the like. The suspension means 12 and 14 consists of a pair of closed flexible loops of nylon cord or other suitable flexible cord-like material having a soft surface texture,

Opposite end portions 24 of the respective support pads 16 and 18 are infolded around respective loop members 12 and 14 and secured to the support pad body by stitching 20 in such a manner that the suspension cords 12 and 14 are loosely disposed within the folds.

When in use, the halter is applied to a patients head as shown in FIG. 1. The suspension loops are placed at opposite sides of the head with one support pad engaging the occipital region of the patients skull and the other support pad disposed beneath and in supporting relationship with the patients jaw. With the pads thus disposed, the lower portion of the suspension loop 12 and 14 extending between the support pads will be disposed beneath the patients ear lobes but not in engagement therewith. The upper portion of the suspension loops extend above the patients head and may be passed over a suitable spreader bar 26 on a traction line 32 connected to a Weight 34. When the halter 10 is disposed over the patients head as described, there is a minimum of contact between the halter elements 12, 14, 16 and 18 and the surface of the patients head above those portions where actual support is affected by the respective pads 16 and 18. Thus, it may be seen that the degree of comfort with which the device may be worn is enhanced, without any sacrifice in its ability to serve the purpose intended.

It is to be noted that when the halter is positioned over the patients head for use and the line 32 is attached to the upper ends of the loop members 12 and 14 by means of the spreader bar 26, the individual pad members 16 and 18 will automatically adjust themselves relative to the patients head in such a manner that when the weight is applied to the line 32 it will exert a pressure in a substantially straight line corresponding to an extension of the patients spinal column as shown in FIG. 1.

It is also to be noted that with the support pad 16 disposed beneath the patients jaw the other supporting element 18 will automatically assume the proper position beneath the patients occiput when tension is applied to the upper portions of the suspension loops by means of the traction line 32,

The halter of this invention is particularly desirable for its simplicity of application and its extremely low production cost. It comprises only four parts: two identical support pads loosely. mounted on two identical suspension loops, with no need for adjusting straps, buckles, snaps, or other fastening devices. Because of the simplicity of construction and the low cost involved, the unit is rendered completely disposable.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction and arrangement of parts disclosed and that it may embrace any desired modifications and changes consistent with the scope of the invention as claimed. It is within the purview of the invention, and so intended, that if desired either or both of the support padsmay be fixedly secured to their respective suspension loops.

We claim:

1. A head halter for applying traction to the head of a wearer, comprising, a pair of flexible closed loops the components of which are adapted for disposition along opposite sides of the wearers head, and a pair of support pads carried by said loops and extending transversely therebetween, one of said pads being engageable with and beneath the jaw of the wearer and the other pad being engageable with the Wearers head in back of the occiput portion thereof.

2. In the halter of claim 1, at least one of said support pads being slidable on and along the loops.

3. In the halter of claim 1, the end portions of said pads having free slidable engagement with the adjacent loops.

4. In a head engaging cervical halter the combination comprising a jaw engaging pad, a head engaging pad, and a pair of closed suspension loop members disposed on opposite ends of said pads, said pads extending between said pair of suspension loop members andbeing slidably mounted thereon.

5. In a head engaging cervical halter the combination comprising a pair of substantially rectangular pads, a pair of flexible closed loop members, said loop members being loosely mounted on the ends of said pair of pads and extending substantially upwardly therefrom, the ends of each of said pads encircling said respective loop members for slidably securing said pads to said loop members.

6. A head engaging cervical halter comprising (a) a pair of closed loops 0t flexible cord for disposition along opposite sides of a wearers head,

s- (b) each loop being so dimensioned that when in use its lower portion extends beneath the wearers ear and its upper portion extends substantially above the wearers ear,

(c) the loops constituting means for suspending the (e) a jaw support pad carried by and extending transver'sely between said loops,

(1") at least one of said pads being slidable freely on v and along the loops whereby it is automatically selfadjusting in use. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 2,712,820 7 Robinson July 12, 1955 

